Electrical connector



Patented Dec. 23, 1952 NITE. D S TAT E S ENT i12F-ICE.

ELECTRICAL CQNNEQTOR Edward S. =Miller, Losl Angeles, Salif.

Application August 10, 19'5Q,`Ser ialNo.178,101 Y (o1. 1174-88) SCIaims.

v1 This invention relatesfto a connector of the type employed vfor electrically connecting -ad- "jacent ends of conductors.

The primary yobject of the invention is to connect adjacent ends of conductors yand effect good electrical conductivity vbetween -said conductors.

Another object is Ato frictionally engage rthe conductors-With a;con nector of conductingmatevrial lso Aas lto assure good electrical contact between the conductors and the connector.

Aefurther object is "to automatically advance Vthe, connector into contact with the Aconductors `asthe parts are moved into assembled relation.

The labove Vand Vother objects may be attained yby yemploying this invention which embodies among its :features a tubular body havingvan inclined inner wall, a tongue adapted to enter 'said tubular body and having an 'inclined face which 'corresponds in inclination to that of the inclined wall, said tongue having 'longitudinal lconductor receiving grooves vopening vthrough the inclined facethereof anda stapleof conducting material havingithe legs thereof disposed in each groove and adapted to beengaged bythe inclined wall `toforce the legs of saidstaple into good electrical contact with conductors lying inthe grooves as the tongue is enteredinto the tubular body.

vIn thedrawngs: Figure 1;is a longitudinal sectional view through la connector embodyingthefeatures of `this invention, showing the tongue partially entered into the tubular body thereof,

'Figure '2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the `device completelyr assembled,

[Figure 3 'is a horizontal Vsectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken :substantially along the 'line 4-4 o'f Figure V2,

Figure V5 is a plan view of the tongue forming one of the elements of the connector, and

-Figure 6 is a perspective view of a connecting staple' of the .type employed for effecting good towardfthegsocket I. 'Formed in the end VVclosure lI2 is a longitudinal passage vor opening 20 fior ductors 24 and 2B are extended into thetubular body as will be readily understood upon reference -to the drawings.

A -ton`gue'28 having an inclined wall 30 which inclines longitudinally andcorresponds in angulardisposition to the 4inclination of the inclined wall IB, is Yadapted to be entered into thebody through the Vsocket I4, as suggested in the drawings. The upper face 30 of the tongue 28 is pro- -vided withfspaced longitudinally extending parallel Ygrooves V32 and 34 for -the reception of the conductors 24 and 26 respectively. lCarried by the tonguej28 at the thicker end thereof is a head 36 having an axial opening 3% extending therethrough for the reception o a cable 4U carrying conductors 42 and 44 whichyas illustrated in the drawings, yextend into the grooves 32 and 34 respectively in substantial alignment with the conductors 2.4 and 25 which lie in the grooves. The head '36 is provided with a radial screw threaded ,socket iSv/nich when the Aparts are fully assembled aligns with the opening `It for the .reception of asuitable fastener 48 such as a machine screw.

Formed in vthe bottom of the groove `32 intermediate the ends thereof Vand adjacent opposite sides of said groove are longitudinally spaced sockets 50 and '52 andsimilar recesses 54 and 56 are formed in the bottom of the groove 34 intermediate the ends and in opposite side walls of rthe .groove 34. The upper ends of sockets 50 and 52. open into grooves 58 and 6E! formed in opposite side walls of the groove 32. Likewise the upper ends of the sockets 54 open into grooves 62 ,formedin opposite side walls of the .groove 34 .legsor prongs 10 and 12. As illustrated the legs I0 and 12 project from one end of the body 53 in parallel relation and increase in width as they approach the body 68 to form substantially V- .shaped `recesses in which the adjacent ends of lthe conductors 'in one of 'the' grooves 32 or '34 are received. In the preferred form of the in vention the adjacent edges 14 of the prongs 10 are inclined to form sharpened edges 16 while the adjacent edges 18 of the prongs 12 are inclined to form sharpened edges 80. It will thus be seen that as a pronged fastener 66 is advanced into one of the grooves 32 or 34 in which conductors are located the sharpened edges 16 and 80 will bite into the surfaces of the conductors to effect good electrical contact therewith.

In use a cable 22 is passed through the opening 20 in the end closure l2 of the tubular body I0 and the insulated conductors 24 and 26 in said cable are separated so as to extend into the interior of the tubular body I0. The inner ends of the conductors 24 and 26 are bared for a short distance so that they may be exposed for electrical connection to the bared ends of the conductors 42 and 44 of a cable 40 which is passed through the opening 38 in the head 36 of the tongue 28. As illustrated lin the drawings the insulated conductors 42 and 44 of the cable 40 lie in the grooves 32 and 34 respectively of the tongue 28 with their bared ends projecting slightly beyond the grooves 58 and 62 in the walls of the grooves 32 and 34 respectively. A pronged fastener such as is illustrated in Figure 6 is then disposed in bridging relation with each groove so that the prongs thereof lie in the grooves 58, 60, 62 and 64. With the parts in this position, the tongue 28 is advanced into the tubular body I so that the angular wall I8 thereof will engage the bodies 68 of the pronged fasteners 66 and move the prongs thereof through their respective grooves toward the sockets 50, 52, 54 and 56. As the parts yare pushed together, the bared ends of the conductors 24 and 26 will be entered between the legs of the fasteners 65 remote from the conductors 42 and 44 so that by the time the fasteners are advanced so that the ends of the legs thereof remote from the body 68 thereof enter the sockets in the bottoms of the grooves 32 and 34, the sharpened edges of the prongs will bite into the bared ends of the conductors 24, 26, 42 and 44 so as to form good electrical contact with said conductors. Since the body portion 68 and the prongs 19 and 12 of the pronged fasteners t6 are formed of electrically conductive material, it will be evident that good electrical contact will be established between the conductors 24 and 42 and between the conductors 26 and 44. As the parts arepushed together, the opening i6 will align with the threaded recess 46 so that the fastener 48 may be entered into the recess through the opening I6 to hold the parts against separation.

It will be understood of course that the tubular body l0 and the tongue 28 are to be formed of a non-conducting material such as plastic, rubber or the like.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed,

l claim:

l. In a connector' for electrically connecting adjacent ends of conductors, an elongate tubular body having an inner longitudinal wall extending oblique to the length thereof, a` tongue adapted to enter one end of said tubular body, said tongue having a longitudinal inclined face that corresponds to the angular disposition of said oblique wall, the inclined face of the tongue having a. longitudinal conductor receiving groove therein, and a pronged staple of conducting material lying across and in straddling relation with the groove with its prongs entering the groove, said staple having a surface positioned to be engaged by the inclined Wall and forced into contact with conductors lying in the groove as the tongue enters the tubular body.

2. In a connector for electrically connecting adjacent ends of conductors, an elongate tubular body having an inner longitudinal Wall extending oblique to the length thereof, a tongue adapted to enter one end of said tubular body. said tongue having a longitudinal inclined face that corresponds to the angular disposition of said oblique wall, the inclined face of the tongue having a longitudinal conductor receiving groove therein, a pronged staple of conducting material lying across and in straddling relation with the groove with its prongs entering the groove, said staple having a surface positioned to be engaged by the inclined wall and for-ced into contact with conductors lying in the groove as the tongue enters the tubular body, and means carried by the tubular body and by the tongue to receive a fastener by which the tongue is held in said body.

3. In a connector for electrically connecting adjacent ends of conductors, an elongate tubular body having an inner longitudinal wall extending oblique to the length thereof, a tongue adapted to enter one end of said tubular body, said tongue having a longitudinal inclined face that corresponds to the angular disposition of said oblique wall, the inclined face of the tongue having a longitudinal conductor receiving groove therein, a pronged staple of conducting material lying across and in straddling relation with the groove with its prongs entering the groove, said staple having a surface positioned to be engaged by the inclined wall and forced into contact with conductors lying in the groove as the tongue enters the tubular body, a head on the tongue for entrance into the tubular body, said head having a radial screw threaded recess therein, said tubular body having a radial opening extending therethrough, and a fastening screw entering the recess through said opening.

4. In a connector for electrically connecting adjacent ends of conductors, an elongate tubular body having an inner longitudinal Wall extending oblique to the length thereof, a tongue adapted to enter one end of said tubular body, said tongue having a longitudinal inclined facethat corresponds to the angular disposition of said oblique wall, the inclined face of the tongue having two spaced parallel longitudinal conductor receiving grooves therein, and pronged staples of conducting material lying across and in straddling relation with each groove with the prongs thereof entering their respective grooves, said staples each having a surface positioned to be engaged by the inclined wall and forced into contact with conductors lying in said grooves by the tongue as the tongue enters the tubular body.

5. The invention according to claim l, wherein said staple comprises spaced V portions, each of which portions receives a conductor.

6. A connector for electrically coupling ends of two electric current conductors, comprising an elongate body having Ia longitudinal chamber opening through one end, the opposite end of the body having an axial passage for the extension of a conductor end into the chamber, said chamber having one longitudinal wallV flat and extending at an angle oblique to the length of the chamber, a tongue adapted to be inserted into the chamber through said one end and having a longitudinal surface disposed at an angle to the length of the tongue corresponding to the angle of said wall, said wall and tongue surfaces being in opposed relation in the assembled connector, a groove in and extending longitudinally of the length of the tongue surface to receive end-s of two conductors, and a coupling conductor for electrically connecting said ends com-prising a plate disposed longitudinally of and bridging the groove and having leg members projecting into the groove each in crossed contacting relation with a conductor end, said chamber Wall functioning in the insertion of the tongue into the chamber to press against said plate to force said legs into conductor engaging position.

7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein said leg members are arranged to provide two V slots opening downwardly into the tongue groove EDWARD S. IJILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,235,231 Mattis Mar. 18, 1941 2,333,265 Miller Nov. 2, 1943 2,353,778 Mattis July 18, 1944 

